


FC Barcelona 1 - 0 AS Roma

by sevenofspade



Category: Ancient History RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Football, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-17
Updated: 2015-07-17
Packaged: 2018-04-09 20:24:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4362941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevenofspade/pseuds/sevenofspade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A quiet moment after the game.</p>
            </blockquote>





	FC Barcelona 1 - 0 AS Roma

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Merfilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/gifts).



> The Barça is [a real football club](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Barcelona), as is [AS Roma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.S._Roma). You will be pleased to learn that [they are familiar rivals](http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/as-roma-familiar-rivals-for-fc-barcelona).
> 
> For the curious, Hannibal is captain and plays forward, Scipio plays defense. Here ends the extend of my knowledge about football.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

"Barca."

"You know that's not my name." Hannibal forwent mentioning Scipio was pronouncing it wrong too and finished wiping his face with his jersey. In the mirror over the sink, Scipio was leaning against the bathroom doorframe, facing Hannibal's back, where his name was spelled out across his jersey.

Scipio smiled. "I know."

"So use my name," Hannibal said.

"Sure thing, Hannibal." Scipio's smile grew wider.

Hannibal felt like he should be offended. He wasn't. He splashed more water on his face, keeping an eye on Scipio.

"Good match today," Scipio said.

Hannibal hummed in approval. "Would have been better if you'd gotten to play."

"Yeah, well." Scipio's shoulders did a little shruggy dance. "It's not every day AS Roma gets to fight FC Barcelona. Not in the Champions' League. Can't fault them for not going with a relative unknown."

"You and Laelius make a good team. You would never have let me get so close to the goal," Hannibal said. Scipio laughed behind him as Hannibal took off his jersey and ran it under the tap.

Scipio stopped laughing. "Please. As if it wasn't Maharbal we should have worried about. There was no way Varro would have been able to stop both of you."

Hannibal pulled the wet cloth from his face to run it over his neck. "You think he chose wrong?"

In the mirror, Scipio's face was red and he raised an eyebrow at Hannibal.

"You think he shouldn't have had to choose at all," Hannibal said, his mouth pulling into a grin. He'd always known Scipio was smart, ever since he'd managed that magnificent last minute save in what had been Mago's first Junior match and one of Scipio's last. That made him two years younger than Hannibal. Scipio hadn't gotten to play much in the three years since, but Hannibal had seen him flinch every time Varro made a strategic mistake that would only reveal itself as a mistake later on. Hannibal suspected there had been quite a lot of flinching during this match.

"His formation was very classic," Scipio said. His eyes went distant and his mouth twisted.

"What would you have done?" Hannibal asked.

"Goalkeeper," Scipio said.

"Risky." Hannibal wrung out his jersey.

"No risk, no reward."

"And while the goalie would be away from the cage, what's to stop me from getting the ball from him and scoring?" Hannibal put the jersey back on, pulling it over his head.

"Me," Scipio said and there was such harsh certainty in his voice that Hannibal turned to look at him. Scipio's face had turned hard like marble and the fluorescent light gave his face sword-sharp planes. For a moment, it was as though they were facing each other on a field -- the battlefield that was the World Cup. Then Scipio smiled and the charm was broken, replaced by another kind of charm. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

Hannibal made a questioning noise in the back of his throat. "Do what?"

"Put your shirt back on. I didn't mind," Scipio said.

"Maybe I mind," Hannibal said, testing the waters and going to stand in front of Scipio, close enough to touch but far enough that Scipio didn't have to bend back his neck to look Hannibal in the eye.

"Oh." Scipio pushed back against the doorframe to right himself, his face gone blank to prevent it from falling.

He opened his mouth to apologise and Hannibal laid the tips of his fingers against his lips. 

Scipio pulled Hannibal's hand away from his mouth. "I'll see you after the return match?"

"You might if you learn my name." Hannibal took off his jersey, showed Scipio the name on the back and tossed it to him.

Scipio caught it. "Don't count on it, _Barca_."


End file.
